Driver pleads not guilty to charges in deaths of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and brother

By Amanda Musa, CNN

(CNN) — Sean Higgins, the suspected drunken driver accused in the deaths of former NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother last year, pleaded not guilty to all charges stemming from the fatal crash.

The 44-year-old appeared at an arraignment hearing Tuesday in Salem County, New Jersey, where his attorneys entered the not-guilty plea on his behalf.

Last month, Higgins was indicted with two counts of reckless vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

If convicted, Higgins could face up to 30 years in prison for each of the aggravated manslaughter charges.

At the Tuesday hearing, the state had offered Higgins a sentence of 35 years in prison in exchange for a guilty plea to the aggravated manslaughter charges and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

CNN has reached out to Higgins’ attorney Matthew Portella for comment.

In court, Portella told Superior Court Judge Michael J. Silvanio the defense plans to submit a motion to remove certain counts on the indictment but did not elaborate on which counts would be challenged.

The next court date in the case is set for February 4, Judge Silvanio said.

Higgins is accused of fatally striking the brothers, Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, 29, as they rode bikes on a New Jersey roadway on August 29, according to the indictment obtained by CNN. Higgins was driving while intoxicated, the indictment said.

Higgins had a blood alcohol level of 0.087 at the time of the crash, which is above the legal limit, prosecutors have said.

On the day of the crash, Higgins finished work around 3 p.m. and had been drinking, according to Salem County First Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan Flynn. Later that day, Higgins had a two-hour phone call with a friend while he drove his Jeep with an open container, Flynn added.

The brothers died just hours before they were to serve as groomsmen at their sister’s wedding and were both fathers-to-be at the time.

Last month, Matthew Gaudreau’s wife announced on Instagram that she welcomed a baby boy named Tripp Matthew. Johnny Gaudreau’s widow, Meredith, had said she was pregnant with the couple’s third child during his funeral in September.

CNN’s Jacob Lev contributed to this report.

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